Course Syllabus

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Geography of Europe | Spring 2016

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Instructor

Dr. Cliff B. Craig
801.822.4451
cliff.craig@usu.edu

COURSE DESCRIPTION & ORGANIZATION

Course Description

Geography of Europe is an upper division course designed to provide you, the student, with an exciting  exploration of the historical, cultural, political, and economic geography of the Europe. As a result, we begin our study with a basic introduction and conceptual framework from which to explore regional geographies with specific reference to the European Realm; followed by a study of the varied physical environments in which all European human events have taken place over time. We then investigate the human interaction with, and the impact on, the physical environments of the European subcontinent,  the diverse cultures with their unique languages, religions and political and economic systems spread across and, finally, the growth of villages into towns, cities into city-states and modern urban settlements into postmodern urban centers. We conclude our study of Europe with a focus on the diverse lifestyles, consumption patterns, use of leisure time, popular cultures of contemporary European people and potential future outcomes of the European Union based upon attempts at uniting the diverse political, linguistic, religious, and economic systems within the Realm of Europe!-

Course Organization

This ONLINE Geography of Europe Course is organized into five UNITS-(PARTS) of Study, i.e.Intro Unit-(Part) (0) Introduction: Chapter  #1-; PART (1):  Chapter #2, Environments, Chapter #3 Population, Chapter #4, HEW;  PART (2): Culture & Identity: Chapter #5 Language, Chapter #6 Religion, Chapter #7 Political Landscape; Part (3): Towns & Cities; Chapter #8 Cities after WWII, Chapter #9 Modern & Post Modern Urbanism; and PART (4): Work & Leisure: Chapter #10 Making a Living, Chapter #11 Consumption & Popular Culture, & Chapter #12;  Epilogue.European Futures! There are separate sets of Objectives for each chapter contained in each of the UNITS!

COURSE RESOURCES:

Course Technology Requirements

Canvas is the Learning Management System that we will use for our course and where course content, grades, and communication will reside for this course.

Textbook

The text for this class will be The Europeans: A Geography of People, Culture and Environment, by Robert C. Ostergren and Mathias Le Bosse'. Second Edition, ( 2011) This paperback book is published by The Guilford Press, ISBN # 978-1-59385-384-6 (pbk). (FOR THIS SPRING SEMESTER 2014, YOU WILL BE GOOD TO PURCHASE EITHER THE 1ST OR 2nd EDITION BECAUSE THE CHANGES ARE MINOR WITH DATES, AND DATA UPDATES: CHAPTER #s and TITLES are the same!

Software

Documents in this course will be presented in PDF format. You will need Adobe Reader to view these files, which you can obtain for free at http://get.adobe.com/reader/. 

Some Assignments will require you to submit a formatted text document. These files must be in .doc or .docx format, created with Microsoft Word, or with Open Office Writer (free download at www.openoffice.org).

COURSE ACTIVITIES:

Readings

You will be reading approximately one chapter in the textbook per week. You are expected to complete each weekly reading before participating in the weekly discussion.

Discussions

You will participate in thirteen Discussions & Replies, on Canvas, ONE Discussion topic, & TWO Replies per week! In order to earn your weekly Discussion points, you must post ONE DISCUSSION and TWO REPLIES to two other weekly classmate's Discussion!. You will have from Monday morning 8:00 a.m. through FRIDAY evening at11:59 p.m. of each week to complete, and submit your Discussion and your 2 replies! It is necessary to have your discussions submitted by Friday evening so all classmates will have the same opportunity to REPLY to others discussion topics by SUNDAY NIGHT 11:59 pm!  Late Discussion and/or Replies will be penalized 3 points per day!

Also, be sure in your weekly discussion topic, that you clearly state your theme, thesis, or issue that is going to be discussed, and provide a clearly documented sets of supporting evidences, in the form of data, or case study examples.  (1) Cite documentation  for evidences of support  integrated into your discussions from outside articles,and/ or videos!  END your discussion with a least ONE QUESTION of GEOGRAPHIC INQUIRY DIRECTLY RELATED TO YOUR DISCUSSION TOPIC, so, your other classmates will want to reply! IF THEIR IS NO ENDING QUESTION ACCOMPANYING WEEKLY DISCUSSIONS, THERE WILL BE A 5 POINT PENALTY for all Discussions beginning with Discussion # 5! 3+

 

Essays

You will be writing THREE ISSUE BASED ESSAYS during the GEOGRAPHY OF EUROPE COURSE. The FIRST ISSUE BASED ESSAY is from the Introduction Unit (0); a SECOND ISSUE BASED ESSAY covers Unit (2): CULTURE and IDENTITY, and the THIRD ISSUE BASED ESSAY: is for Unit IV, WORK and LEISURE & European Futures! 

Each ISSUE BASED ESSAY should be organized as follows: (1) at least one Paragraph of INTRODUCTION; ( 2) One paragraph containing A Thesis/Theme/or/Argument Statement; (3) a myriad of paragraphs which provide the necessary minimum of numbered SUPPORTING FACTORS & multiple POINTS OF EVIDENCE to verify and support you’re Thesis, Theme, and/or Argument Statement; and finally (4) At least One paragraph of SUMMARY and one paragraph for CONCLUSIONS. Your textbook will be your MAJOR resource, and you will be required to cite documented pages for supporting Factors & Points of Evidences! Your ISSUE BASED ESSAYS will be GRADED based upon the five components from the RUBRIC posted In the COURSE RESOURCES SECTION of the syllabus, i.e. Introduction 20%, Thesis/Theme/Argument 20%, Supporting Points of Evidence 20%, Summary/Conclusion 20%, and Documentation/ Grammar/Organization 20% for 100% (100 Points for each Essay).

Exams

Keep In mind that this is a GEOGRAPHY course so the focus will be on the similarities and differences in locational & spatial Geographic distributions! If it is Geographic it MUST be capable of being mapped spatially and locationally! There are TWO, SHORT STATEMENT EXAMS, containing ten short questions in each Exam. Exam # 1 is based on Chapter (1); while EXAM #2 will examine PART (1). Both Exams will be CLOSED-BOOK, but OPEN for STUDY NOTES and you will have TWO HOURS to complete each of the Short Statement Exams. Read your chapters topically! As well, be sure to read each question on the EXAMS very carefully so you answer each question directly and provide specific answers very directly! When Exam questions cite specific cities or other locations, be sure to specifically address each of the cited locations and/or examples!

Each Exam is worth 100 points. Neither the exams nor the essays are proctored.

COURSE GRADING:

Your grade is based on performance of course components and possible points.

Component Points

  • Essays (3 @100)            300
  • Discussion (13 @ 30)      390
  • Exams (2 @ 100)         200

TOTAL POINTS                    760
Final grades are calculated using a percentage scale out of 100%.

GRADE PERCENTAGE RANGE POINTS

  • A           100% - 93%            707 - 760
  • A-        < 93% - 90%             684 - 706
  • B+       < 90% – 87%            661 - 683
  • B         < 87% – 83%            631 - 660
  • B-        < 83% - 80%            608 - 630
  • C+       < 80% - 77%            585 - 607
  • C          < 77% - 73%           555 - 584
  • C-        < 73% - 70%            532 - 554
  • D         < 70% - 60%            449 - 531
  • F          < 60 %                     0 - 448

COURSE POLICIES:

Instructor Feedback/Communication

I will use the Announcements tool in Canvas to communicate changes to the course and other course information.
I will contact individual students via my campus email: cliff.craig@usu.edu.

Student Feedback/Communication

I welcome all feedback on the course, and the best and most efficient and preferred method of communication for me is via personal email. Please send your email to cliff.craig@usu.edu. I will respond to email within two days (Monday – Friday).

If you experience a legitimate emergency (according to my standards) which will prevent you from completing required coursework on time, contact me at the earliest reasonable opportunity. Please state the nature of the emergency, and the dates you expect to submit the missed coursework.

Late Work

Late work due to procrastination will not be accepted. Late work due to legitimate emergency may be accepted. The due date and time associated with each quiz, discussion, exam and assignment are stated clearly in Canvas.

Syllabus Changes

This syllabus is subject to change. I will notify the class regarding all changes. In the event of any discrepancy between this syllabus and content found in Canvas, the information CONTAINED in the COURSE SYLLABUS in CANVAS WILL TAKE PRECEDENCE.

Course Fees

There are no course fees associated with this course.

UNIVERSITY POLICIES

Honor Pledge

Students will be held accountable to the Honor Pledge which they have agreed to: “I pledge, on my honor, to conduct myself with the foremost level of academic integrity.”

Academic Honesty

The Instructor of this course will take appropriate actions in response to Academic Dishonesty, as defined by the University’s Student Code: 

Acts of academic dishonesty include but are not limited to:

1. Cheating: (1) using or attempting to use or providing others with any unauthorized assistance in taking quizzes, tests, examinations, or in any other academic exercise or activity, including working in a group when the instructor has designated that the quiz, test, examination, or any other academic exercise or activity be done “individually”; (2) depending on the aid of sources beyond those authorized by the instructor in writing papers, preparing reports, solving problems, or carrying out other assignments; (3) substituting for another student, or permitting another student to substitute for oneself, in taking an examination or preparing academic work; (4) acquiring tests or other academic material belonging to a faculty member, staff member, or another student without express permission; (5) continuing to write after time has been called on a quiz, test, examination, or any other academic exercise or activity; (6) submitting substantially the same work for credit in more than one class, except with prior approval of the instructor; or (7) engaging in any form of research fraud.

2. Falsification: altering or fabricating any information or citation in an academic exercise or activity.

3. Plagiarism: representing, by paraphrase or direct quotation, the published or unpublished work of another person as one's own in any academic exercise or activity without full and clear acknowledgment. It also includes using materials prepared by another person or by an agency engaged in the sale of term papers or other academic materials. The complete Code of Policies and Procedures for Students at Utah State University can be viewed at: http://www.usu.edu/studentservices/studentcode/. 

Withdrawal Policy and “I” Grade Policy

Students are required to complete all courses for which they are registered by the end of the semester. In some cases, a student may be unable to complete all of the coursework because of extenuating circumstances, but not due to poor performance or to retain financial aid. The term 'extenuating' circumstances includes:

  • Incapacitating illness which prevents a student from attending classes for a minimum period of two weeks,
  • A death in the immediate family,
  • Financial responsibilities requiring a student to alter a work schedule to secure employment,
  • Change in work schedule as required by an employer,
  • Other emergencies deemed appropriate by the instructor. (http://www.usu.edu/policies/pdf/Incomplete-Grade.pdf)

Students with Disabilities

Students with ADA-documented physical, sensory, emotional or medical impairments may be eligible for reasonable accommodations. Veterans may also be eligible for services. All accommodations are coordinated through the  Disability Resource Center (DRC) in Room 101 of the University Inn, (435)797-2444 voice, (435)797-0740 TTY, (435)797-2444 VP, or toll free at 1-800-259-2966. Please contact the DRC as early in the semester as possible. Alternate format materials (Braille, large print or digital) are available with advance notice. 

Course Summary:

Course Summary
Date Details Due